A Close and Supportive Interparental Bond During Pregnancy Predicts Greater Decline in Sexual Activity From Pregnancy to Postpartum: Applying an Evolutionary Perspective

A common topic for advice given to parents after childbirth – both from relationship experts and popular media – is how to “bounce back” to one’s pre-pregnancy sexuality, with warnings that postpartum declines in sexual frequency will take a serious toll on one’s relationship. However, these admonishments may not accurately reflect the ways in which the unique reproductive context of pregnancy and the postpartum transition alter associations between sexual frequency and relationship quality. Evolutionary perspectives on reproductive strategies would suggest that in the postpartum context, decreased sexual activity would help target parental investment in the current offspring (rather than creating new offspring); however, if the parental relationship is lacking in intimacy and support, continued sexual activity may help seal the cracks in the bond. We tested this theory in a longitudinal dyadic study of changes in relationship quality and sexual frequency from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum among 159 heterosexual couples. We found that across three different measures of relationship quality taken from interviews and behavioral observation of couple interactions, higher relationship quality (i.e., greater support, intimacy, and responsiveness) predicted greater decline in sexual frequency whereas sexual frequency remained relatively stable in lower quality relationships. These findings suggest that, during the postpartum transition, decreased sexual frequency may not be a reliable signal of poor relationship quality

Real Time Changes in Monetary Policy

This paper investigates potential changes in monetary policy over the last decades using a nonparametric vector autoregression model. In the proposed model, the conditional mean and variance are time-dependent and estimated using a nonparametric local linear method, which allows for different forms of nonlinearity, conditional heteroskedasticity, and non-normality. Our results suggest that there have been gradual and abrupt changes in the variances of shocks, in the monetary transmission mechanism, and in the Fed’s reaction function. The response of output was strongest during Volcker’s disinflationary period and has since been slowly decreasing over time. There have been some abrupt changes in the response of inflation, especially in the early 1980s, but we can not conclude that it is weaker now than in previous periods. Finally, we find significant evidence that policy was passive during some parts of Burn’s period, and active during Volcker’s disinflationary period and Greenspan’s period. However, we find that the uncovered behavior of the parameters is more complex than general conclusions suggest, since they display considerable nonlinearities over time. A particular appeal of the recursive estimation of the proposed VAR-ARCH is the detection of discrete local deviations as well as more gradual ones, without smoothing the timing or magnitude of the changes.Monetary Policy, Taylor Rule, Local Estimation, Nonlinearity, Nonparametric, Monetary Policy; Taylor Rule; Local Estimation; Nonlinearity; Nonparametric; Structural Vector Autoregression; Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity;

A Poisson Regression Examination of the Relationship between Website Traffic and Search Engine Queries

A new area of research involves the use of Google data, which has been normalized and scaled to predict economic activity. This new source of data holds both many advantages as well as disadvantages, which are discussed through the use of daily and weekly data. Daily and weekly data are employed to show the effect of aggregation as it pertains to Google data, which can lead to contradictory findings. In this paper, Poisson regressions are used to explore the relationship between the online traffic to a specific website and the search volumes for certain keyword search queries, along with the rankings of that specific website for those queries. The purpose of this paper is to point out the benefits and the pitfalls of a potential new source of data that lacks transparency in regards to the original level data, which is due to the normalization and scaling procedure utilized by Google.Poisson Regression, Search Engine, Google Insights, Aggregation, Normalization Effects, Scaling Effects

Simultaneous flow and temperature correction in the equilibrium stage problem

Iterative solution for steady state equilibrium problem with temperature and flow rate adjustmen

SNARE VTI13 plays a unique role in endosomal trafficking pathways associated with the vacuole and is essential for cell wall organization and root hair growth in arabidopsis

Background and Aims: Root hairs are responsible for water and nutrient uptake from the soil and their growth is responsive to biotic and abiotic changes in their environment. Root hair expansion is a polarized process requiring secretory and endosomal pathways that deliver and recycle plasma membrane and cell wall material to the growing root hair tip. In this paper, the role of VTI13 (AT3G29100), a member of the VTI vesicular soluble NSF attachment receptor (SNARE) gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana, in root hair growth is described.<p></p> Methods: Genetic analysis and complementation of the vti13 root hair phenotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana were first used to assess the role of VTI13 in root hair growth. Transgenic lines expressing a green fluorescent protein (GFP)–VTI13 construct were used to characterize the intracellular localization of VTI13 in root hairs using confocal microscopy and immunotransmission electron microscopy.<p></p> Key Results: VTI13 was characterized and genetic analysis used to show that its function is required for root hair growth. Expression of a GFP–VTI13 fusion in the vti13 mutant background was shown to complement the vti13 root hair phenotype. GFP–VTI13 localized to both the vacuole membrane and a mobile endosomal compartment. The function of VTI13 was also required for the localization of SYP41 to the trans-Golgi network. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that cell wall organization is altered in vti13 root hairs and root epidermal cells.<p></p> Conclusions: These results show that VTI13 plays a unique role in endosomal trafficking pathways associated with the vacuole within root hairs and is essential for the maintenance of cell wall organization and root hair growth in arabidopsis

Measurement Error in Monetary Aggregates: A Markov Switching Factor Approach

This paper compares the different dynamics of the simple sum monetary aggregates and the Divisia monetary aggregate indexes over time, over the business cycle, and across high and low inflation and interest rate phases. Although traditional comparisons of the series sometimes suggest that simple sum and Divisia monetary aggregates share similar dynamics, there are important differences during certain periods, such as around turning points. These differences cannot be evaluated by their average behavior. We use a factor model with regime switching. The model separates out the common movements underlying the monetary aggregate indexes, summarized in the dynamic factor, from individual variations in each individual series, captured by the idiosyncratic terms. The idiosyncratic terms and the measurement errors reveal where the monetary indexes differ. We find several new results. In general, the idiosyncratic terms for both the simple sum aggregates and the Divisia indexes display a business cycle pattern, especially since 1980. They generally rise around the end of high interest rate phases – a couple of quarters before the beginning of recessions – and fall during recessions to subsequently converge to their average in the beginning of expansions. We find that the major differences between the simple sum aggregates and Divisia indexes occur around the beginnings and ends of economic recessions, and during some high interest rate phases. We note the inferences’ policy relevance, which is particularly dramatic at the broadest (M3) level of aggregation. Indeed, as Belongia (1996) has observed in this regard, “measurement matters.”Measurement Error, Divisia Index, Aggregation, State Space, Markov Switching, Monetary Policy

Explaining the Allocation of Bilateral and Multilateral Environmental Aid to Developing Countries

In this paper we examine how international development assistance for environmental purposes is allocated to developing countries. In particular, we investigate whether there are patterned differences between environmental aid for international public goods projects versus environmental projects having more localized impacts. We empirically investigate these questions using project project level development assistance data.International Development,

Puppetry in early childhood education.

The use of puppetry to motivate and teach children in early education settings has a long tradition, yet there is very little research evidence linking puppetry training for teachers to the use of puppets in early elementary school classrooms. In this study, 120 early childhood educators completed a survey about the use of puppetry in schools and their perceived value as an educational tool. Teachers were also asked to indicate the type of training they had had in puppetry skills (college course, workshop, both college and workshop, neither), and their perceived abilities as puppeteers. The survey data were tabulated to determine overall frequency response rates. Chi Square analyses were used to examine relationships between the type of training and the following factors: the overall use of puppetry in the classroom; teachers\u27 perceived ability as a puppeteer; the number of professional programs presented in the classrooms; and teachers\u27 attitudes towards the effectiveness of puppetry in the classroom. Although results indicated that training by itself was not related to the use of puppets in classroom settings nor to teachers\u27 reports on the overall effectiveness of puppetry as a teaching tool, training in puppetry was significantly related to the teachers\u27 perceptions of their own abilities as puppeteers. And, the average frequency of use of puppets in the classroom increased with each increase in skill level. Data are also presented concerning the attitudes of the teachers toward the use of puppets in their classrooms, the various curriculum areas in which puppets have been used successfully, limitations on puppetry use and student classification (emotionally disturbed, developmentally delayed, physically challenged, typical ). The implications of these findings as they relate to teacher inservice training are discussed. A training module to teach puppetry skills to early childhood educators is outlined as are topics for possible future research

Measurement Error in Monetary Aggregates: A Markov Switching Factor Approach

This paper compares the different dynamics of simple sum monetary aggregates and the Divisia indexes over time, over the business cycle, and across high and low inflation and interest rate phases. Although the traditional comparison of the series may suggest that they share similar dynamics, there are important differences during certain times and around turning points that can not be evaluated by their average behavior. We use a factor model with regime switching that offers several ways in which these differences can be analyzed. The model separates out the common movements underlying the monetary aggregate indexes, summarized in the dynamic factor, from individual variations in each one series, captured by the idiosyncratic terms. The idiosyncratic terms and the measurement errors represent exactly where the monetary indexes differ. We find several new results. In general, the idiosyncratic terms for both the simple sum aggregates and the Divisia indexes display a business cycle pattern, especially since 1980. They generally rise around the end of high interest rate phases – a couple of quarters before the beginning of recessions – and fall during recessions to subsequently converge to their average in the beginning of expansions. We also find that the major differences between the simple sum aggregates and Divisia indexes occur around the beginning and end of economic recessions, and during some high interest rate phases.Measurement Error, Divisia Index, Aggregation, State Space, Markov Switching, Monetary Policy

Using monoclonal antibodies to label living root hairs: a novel tool for studying cell wall microarchitecture and dynamics in <i>Arabidopsis</i>

Background&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; The Arabidopsis root hair represents a valuable cell model for elucidating polar expansion mechanisms in plant cells and the overall biology of roots. The deposition and development of the cell wall is central to the root hair expansion apparatus. During this process, incorporation of specific wall polymers into the growing wall architecture constitutes a critical spatio-temporal event that controls hair size and growth rate and one that is closely coordinated with the cell’s endomembrane, cytoskeletal and signal transduction apparatuses.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Results&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; In this study, the protocol for live cell labeling of roots with monoclonal antibodies that bind to specific wall polymers is presented. This method allows for rapid assessment of root hair cell wall composition during development and assists in describing changes to cell wall composition in transgenic mutant lines. Enzymatic “unmasking” of specific polymers prior to labeling allows for refined interpretation of cell wall chemistry. Live cell immunofluorescence data may also be correlated with transmission electron microscopy-based immunogold labeling.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusions&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Live Arabidopsis root hairs may be labeled with cell wall polymer-specific antibodies. This methodology allows for direct visualization of cell wall dynamics throughout development in stable transgenic plant lines. It also provides an important new tool in the elucidation of the specific interactions occurring between membrane trafficking networks, cytoskeleton and the cell wall deposition/remodeling mechanism